The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, April 24, 1944, Page 1

. <5 VOL. XLI., NO. 9634. Pt e e, TWO-WAY BLOW IS STRUCK ON G ———— U. 5. FORCES MAKE GAINS WIDE FRONT Operations Help lsolate 140,000 Japs, Solo- monsfoNew Guinea MacARTHUR'S ADVANCED HEADQUARTERS, NEW GUINEA, April 24—Powerful American Army forces are gaining ground on a 500- mile front up the New Guinea coast and landed on both sides of Hol- landia last Saturday. Gen. Douglas MacArthur watched from a bom- barding cruiser. A third assault team landed un- opposed 150 miles southeast to reach the Aitape airdrome. Operations were covered by the tremendous aircraft carrier task force and helped to isolate 140,000 Japanese from the Solomons to New Guinea. Under guns of the Navy, the Am- ericans landed with slight losses on the beaches east and west of the Dutch New Guinea Jap base at Hol- landia early Saturday and by noon had driven two miles east of Tan- amerah Bay and the same distance west of Humboldt Bay. The ob- jectives are three airfields midway between the American beachheads. This is the first reconquest of the Dutch territory the Nazis overran the ,Netherlands in 1940 and the (Continued on Page Two) The Washingion Merry-Go -Round By DREW PEARSON (Lt. Col. Robert 8. Allen now on active service with the Army.) WASHINGTON — A new alpha- betical name for 4-F's who refuse to work in essential jobs was pro- posed when Major General Lewis B. Hershey, the Selective Servicé Director, and other officials testi- fied on labor draft legislation at a closed-door meeting of the House Military Affairs Committee. The name is MUGS—i.e., men unfit for general service. It was proposed informally while Hershey + was discussing the possibility of es- tablishing wotk camps for 4-F shirkers. “We can’t handle this like CCC camps,” the Belective Service boss said. “When a CCC boy refused to live up to regulations, we sent him home. ‘But there should be military discipline for the small minority of deferred 4-Fers who are not patri- otic enough to work in essential jobs while other young men are fight- ing” Hershey said that only a handful of deferred workers were selfish or unpatriotic enough to re- fuse to switch to essential jobs. “Well, 'm for singling out these ‘home-front slackers,” spoke up Rep- resentative Paul Kilday of Texas. “They should be put under military discipline and made to wear a dis- tinctive uniform so every mother who has a boy in the service will know who they are." The Texas Congressman went on to add that, in his opinion, there would be less 4-F “loafers” if the Government was franker with the American people about the war. “There’s been too much hush- hushing of war news to suit me,” declared Kilday. “The spirit on the home front is good, but it would be a lot better if the people were told the truth about the tough fight we are up against. Some hard- boiled spokesman for the War De- partment should get on the radio and tell the people exactly how we stand. Yes, and he shouldn’t quibble about our casualties, either. It would be a healthy thing, in 1my opinion, if the pebple were told our exact losses at Cassino and other engagements. = The effect . would be to make folks on the home front madder at the enemy and they would work a lot harder.” STIMSON ON JEWISH QUESTION Secretary of War Stimson has written a letter to Congressman Marcantonio of New York white- washing Lieutenant Albert W. Ambs for - alleged anti-Semitism. Lieu- tenant Ambs, last summer, wrote tion hospitdl at Florence Intern- RS S S P v o el (Continued on Page Four) GLIDER UNIT LANDING IS MADE, BURMA i Successful Infiltration I Made by Commandos Behind Enemy Lines SOUTHEAST ASIA HEADQUAR- TERS AT KANDY, Ceylon, April 24—A unit of glider borne guer-| rilla fighters, employing the fan- ‘t,astic new Allied tactic of infiltra- tion by air, have established a de- {fense box squarely across the north- south railroad deep behind the en- emy lines in Burma. Allied headquarters, in s.nnounc-! ing the latest strike to cut the Jap| |supply lines to Myitkyina, chief en-| emy base in north Burma, said sub- stantial Allied forces were flown in to reinforce the Chandits al- ready operating on a front more than 100 miles wide and 200 miles inside Burma. | Meanwhile, the communique indi- |cated, the old style Jap infiltration \tactics through the, jungle are meet- ing a check in the invasion of In- dia. The announcement said the ‘Kohima to Dimapur road has been icleared and the relief to the Ko- |hima garrison completed. thereby dissipating the enemy threat to the| Bengal Assam Railway, which feeds |the American air forces in China. : The lean, jungle trained Scots, Irish and British were flown with their pack mules and supplies by American air commando force of gliders in the latest invasion deep inside Burma, said the dispatch The latest reports of Jap move- meats in North Central Burma indi- cated the Japs are still confused by the new landings, and have not yet idetected where the main force is |concentrated. Heavy fighting continued at sca’- tered positions around the Imphal Plain of Eastern India. ' KETCHIKAN HOSP. ADDITION GIVEN BIG DEDICATION KETCHIKAN, Alaska, April 24— A large audience attended the dedi- cation of the new $104,000 addition {to the Ketchikan General Hospital Sunday as good weather prevailed. Bishop J. R. Crimont delivered the dedicatory address and other speak- |ers included EarI"D. McGinty, proj- ect enginzer of the Public Works Administration; Harold Foss, archi- tect; Mayor R. C. Peterson, and Chaplain G. J. Barras, representing Capt. Gordon W. MacLane of the Coast Guard. Many congratulatory messages were recelved and one from Gov. Gruening suggested that the names of the late R. V. Ellis of Ketchikan and Dr. W. W. Council of Juneau " be enshrined on the tablet in the hospital. Juneauites present were Judge G. F. Aleaxnder, Peggy Mclvor, Curtis Shattuck and A. B. Cain. ‘The Coast Guard Glee Club head- lined the program. Lester O. Gore was general chairman of the day and Mrs. Ggge was chairman of the arrangements committee, CLEANUP WEEK IS NOW HERE 1t is cleanup week in Juneau and although the City Council gave only one day’s notice of the start, prop- erty owners got busy yesterday with rakes on lawns, etc., and overhauling discarded ~ articles in basements. Many rubbish piles were on the curbs this morning and the street department trucks were engaged in carting them away. Cleanup week BOMBERS (RASH, SWISS REPORTS BERNE, Aril 2¢—A report from Dussendorf said 13 American bomb- ers have landed there, another one at Geneva and one at Alterrheim, lon the German~ frontier. Several MAP OF NORTHERN ALASKA REVEALS VALUABLE SECRETS By MAX HILL WASHINGTON, April 24.—The largest map-making project in his- tory, a typographical portrait of 202,000 square miles of Northern Alaska by the Army Air Forces and United States Geological Survey, now almost completed, is beginning to yield valuable secrets of wild land, four-fifths of the area virtu- ally unmapped before the survey, Wwilliam E. Wrather, Director of the Geological Survey said. Much of the area has never been seen by the human eye. The map was made by modern photographic trimetrogon aerial methods and shows rivers mean- dering to the Arctic Ocean for un- told centuries without being named. The map will show topographic features and possible sites for air- ports to be used, for that part of the world is assumed to be of in- evitable importance as an air route between the United States, Moscow and Asia, and will also throw light on possible rich mineral deposits about 25,000 photographs, and laid ege to edge cover more than one- quarter an acre. The Geological Survey made the map itself. B e Acquisition British Bases 'Now Urged WASHINGTON, April 24, — Im- mediate steps to make permanent the American possession of the Western Hemisphere bases uired from the BHHSK T deal were recommended by the House Naval sub-committee. The bases are now being used by the United States under a 99-year lease agreement. The sub-committee made recommendation in a formal report on their inspection of hemisphere defense installations. It was head- ed by Rep. Edward P. Hebert, Louis- iana Democrat. Hebert reported that the Navy spent more than, $130,000,000 on the eight bases ac-| quired from Britain in exchange for | the delivery of 50 overage destroy- ers announced by President Roose- velt on September 3, 1940. Additional recommendations are that the “most cordial relations” worked out in Brazil should be ex- tended to as wany South Ameriean nations as possible, a new study of the entire Caribbean sector would be undertaken by the Navy now be- cause the requirements there are substantially altered, and that the Latin American countries should be encouraged to send candidates to the U. S. Naval Academy at An- napolis as another step in building up their navies for mutual hemis- pheric defense. The report was critical of the fa- cilities of Puerto Rico, stating that the Roosevelt roads there are an “unjustifiable project.” Gold Mine Stocks Take l!a_rkel Boost NEW YORK, April 24—The stock market last Saturday led gold mines to further passes of recovery after publication of the preliminary in- ternational agreement on the post- war currency stabilization fund based on the yellow metal. Alaska Juneau, Dome mines and Home- stake Mining ‘made advances. STOCK QUOTATIONS NEW YORK, April 24 —Closing quotation of Alaska 'Juneau mine today . is 5%, American Can 83%, Anaconda 25%, Beech Alrcraft 8%, Bethlehepn Steel 57%, _Curtiss Wright 5%, International Harvester 68, Kennecott 30%, North American Aviation' 8'%, New York Central 17%, Northern Pacific 14%, United States Steel 50%, Pound $4.04. Dow, Jones averages today are as follows: industrials 135, rails 37.83, utilities 22.27. —— BOB DAVLIN IS PROMOTED TO RANK OF BERGEANT Robert L. Daviin, of the Juneau motor firm of Cowling and Davlin, now in the Army to the Westward, has been promoted to the rank of ‘bombens crashed, the Swiss com- munique says. sergeant, according to official word received here, miles from the present human | paths. The Army photographers took | the | “ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME” JUNEAU, ALASKA, MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1944 TWO ARRESTED AT FIREMEN'S DANCE, GRAND LARCENY Through the alertness of Miss Maxine Lund of Juneau and A. J. Balog, newly elected uglas City Marshal, Kenneth J. Maloney anrd John Heuisen, both of Los Angeles, are in the Federal Jail today, charg- ed with grand larceny. The men are members of the crew of an oil tanker. Attending the Douglas Fire De- partment dance last Saturday night, Maloney and Heuisen, waited until the peak of congestion during in- | termission to select six of the most expensive fur coats from the check- room and walk unnoticed through the crowd and out of the Nata- torium. About the same time as the theft occurred, Miss Lund happen- ing along, noticed a man throw something over the incline near the building and upon investigating found the discarded articles to be three women’s fur coats. Reporting the incident to Marshal A’). Baolg, who with the assistance of William Cuthbert and Earl Miller, succeeded in chasing down the two thieves and recovering additional stolen furs which were found in their possession. | The coats were the property of Mrs. Marian Meier, Mrs, Irma John- son, Mrs. Maxine Reynolds, Mrs. Ray Hagerup, Mrs. Stanley Jekill and a sixth party unknown to the author- | ities. The two men were to be arraigned today in the U. S. Commissioner’s offices. ¥ - — UNCLE JOE STILWELL -~ CURIOUS BY TOBY "VIAN’I‘ WITH GENERAL STILWELL IN NORTHERN BURMA JUNGLE—Lt. Gen. Joseph W. (Uncle Joe) Stil- well’'s unquenchable curiosity makes him work many times harder— physically as well as mentally— than anyone under his command. He listens to what his subordinates have to say about situations or ter- rain—then finds out himself just how accurate they are. Not that he doesn’t trust them. He's just cur- lous. Every American in the jungle calls him “Uncle Joe,” or “The Old Man”—not to his face, but not dis- respectfully. He aparently likes to be known as “Uncle Joe,” because he' permitted “Uncle Joe's Chariot” to be painted on the nose of his plane in which he commutes about Chiga, Burma and India. Stilwell would have made one of the best reporters in the business. He always wants-to know the who. what, why, when' and where—and doesn’t stop asking questions until he finds out. He is 63 years old, but seems not more than 50. He can—and does— outwalk soldiers 20-30 years young- er. He sets such a fast pace that troops—and war correspondents— gasp for breath after the first mile or so. His curlosity has led him over virtualy . every important inch of the Hukawng Valley, where Am- erican - trained-and-equipped Chin- ese are driving the Japs south- ward to give American engineers building the Ledo Road plenty of room. When Stilwell issues an order, he knows exactly what that order entails. He personally has been over the area and memorized each hill, ravine, trail and river. i e St A MRS. ENGSTROM ON AIR candidate for the Senate in the pri- mary election tomorrow, will speak tonight on campaign_ issues over KINY at 6:40 o'clock. - FIRE ALARMS Somebody suw flames from a backfire in the furnace at St. Ann’s Hospital Saturday night and the fire call was sounded, but no dam- age was done. About'2 o'clock Sun- day morning 31 burning mattress in a cabin on lower Main street called out the PFire Department. HERE FROM MONROVIA At the Gastineau Hotel, Erick Ronie is registered from Monrovia, Calif. Mrs. E. E. Engstrom, Republican | MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE I3 PRICE TEN NAVY ITCHING FOR DRAGOUT WITHNIPPONS Want Jap ‘Fleef fo Come Out for Knockdown Battle NEW YORK. April 24—Rear Ad- miral DéWitt Ramsey, Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics of the Unit- ed States Navy, said the Navy is itehing for a “knockdown and drag- out fight” with the Japanese Navy andl the sooner it comes the better. S| for ship, with them and they not,” said Ramsey. e statements were made in an adfivess prepared for the annual lusicheon of the Associated Press noh-profit news gathering coopera- tive. Lieut. Gen. Vandergrift, Marine grps Commandant, also spoke and ared Japan might not risk the t until the war moved close to homeland. The Associated Press Board of Directors, discussing the Govern- ment anti-trust suit against the organization said the report is to “resist to the utmost every effort to ‘bring about Governmient control of jthe news.” 'he Directors note that 555 mem- of the staff or more than 25 pefcent, are on military leave, nev- ertheless, the “Associated Press at home and abroad is expanding in all of its activities.” ADM. KING SAYS U. S, NAVY NOW GREATEST EVE WASHINGTON, April 24. — Ad- \miral E. J. King, telling how the U. 8. Navy'was caught short at Pearl Harbor, urges that never again should the Navy be permitted to dwindle into its comparative weakness of prewar days. His plea appears in his first of- ficial report of progress in the war and recounts the heroic measures |by which the Navy has been built up to its present stature as the greatest in the world, and while ready to defend itself and the Na- {tion, the fleet is ready to “travel to the Far East and victory.” | The Admiral said the encircle- | \ment of Germany is in sight and| the “situation in the Pacific must; be dark for thc Japanese. Subs are| playing a major part now in the, war and surface craft and plaaes are whittlipng down the enemy’s; merchantmen.” { —— .- — STABLER AGAINST | ANY MORE TAXES Howard D. Stabler, of Juneau, Republican candidate for the Sen- ate, stated today that he is not in favor of any new or additional Ter- ritorial taxes or tax programs at this time. The Juneau attorney said he also is for fighting to recover the Am- erican principles of government by limiting the powers of appointed boards, bureaus and commissions to executive functions, for the elim- inatlon of regulations and restric- tions of individual rights and 1ib- erties not essential to the success- ful prosecution of the war. Stabler is running for office this year for the first time. He served as Assistant U. S. Attorney here from 1921 to 1929, and as United States Attorney for the First Di- vision frdm 1929 to 1933. Since that| {time he has carried on a private| law practice here. Frederick Haskin Dies in Washinglon WASHINGTON, April 24—Fred-, erick J. Haskin, 70, whose column on general information appears in' more than 100 newspapess, is dead after. an illness of several months. —————— LOGAN FROM SEATTLE Mark A. Logan, at the Gastineau Hotel, is registered from Seattle. | “We can afford to play the game, | | CONFERENCE OF HALIBUTERS, OPA NOW BEING HELD | SEATTLE, April 24—An OPA of- ficial and American and Canadian halibut fishermen are scheduled to meet here this afternoon over the halibut tieup as fishermen refused to go to the banks in a protest against the OPA cut of 2% cents on the ceiling price of halibut delivered at Prince Rupert. The conference of fishermen at Vancouver, B. C., last Saturday |ended without announcement of any {action but both Canadian and Am- {erican halibuters remain in ports. WANT ACTION WASHINGTON, April 24. — The House Merchant and Marine sub- committee has directed Government ‘agencies concerned to confer and report not later than next Monday \what can be done to restore pro- |duction by the. Northwest halibut |fleet. Chairman Peterson, Florida Dem- |ocrat, of the subcommittee investi- 'gating the effect of the OPA regu- lations on fish production said ther: is “no question” the OPA controis lare responsible for the present tis- |up and the OPA and War Fccl | Administration acting with the Cc- |ordinator of Fisheries should find some solution in the disagreements and must take quick action to put the fleet into operation that over- laps the approaching salmon sea- |son. R PAN AMERICAN IN " WITH 12 PERSONS FROM _FAIRBANKS | Recent outgoing passengers via |Pan Ameérican 'Alfways weré the |following to Seattle—Everett Riges, |Kenneth Littlefield, Josephine {Hornden, Wilma Tullis, Alfred War- ing and Mrs. Barbara Wycoff. | Arriving in Juneau aboard the |Pan American plane were Robert M. Johnson from Whitehorse and the following from Fairbanks—An- drew Delac, Victor J. S8amson, Area Coordinator of Fisheries; Chris Evanoff, Mr, and Mrs. Ver Hoef, Mrs. Eugene Robertson, Mrs. Dora Spaulding. Lola La Pointe, Edith P. Sappington, M, D., District Medi- cal Director of the U. 8. Children’s Bureau; and John Dahl, insurance adjuster for the Morrison-Knudsen Company. Also arriving were Joseph Dan- ker and Aaron Johnson, both of whom will enter the Ploneers Home at Sitka. 123 ABSENTEE BALLOTS CAST According to U, 8, Commissioner Felix Gray, 123 absentee ballots had been cast for the Territorial Prim- aries at his office at closing time Saturday aferngon. Of the 123 cast, 113 were Demo- cratic ballots and the remaining 10 were Republican, ——————— COLD STORAGE EMPLOYEE Here to accept a position on the office staff of the Juneau Co.d Storage, Miss Beatrice Bidlake ar- rived from the states over the week- end and is registered at the Bat- anof Hotel. Miss Bidiake was for- merly with A. W. Quist, Seattle contractor. . B — BACK FROM INSPECTION A. J. Alter, Sanitary Engineer with the Pablic Health Service, has re- turned frem a short trip to Wran- gell and Petersburg, where he car- ried on an inspection of shrimp canneries and food handling estab- lishments. —eee——— RELEASED BY MARSHAL Leo Tacad Novarro, arrested by the U. 8. Marshal’s office here on a charge of being a fugitive from jus- tice; was released today on his own recognizance. — o —- FLESHERS HERE Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Flesher, at| the Baranof Hotel, are in from Hoonah. ——————— e o o o o 0 o oo . WEATHER REPORT ° . (U. 8. Buréan) ® Temp. Saturday, April 22 e Maximum 50; Minimum 40 e e Rain 26 3 e Temp. Sunday, Aprii 23 e e Maximum 52; Minimum 39 e e o o o o o o oo LIBERTY SHIP WRECKED OFF ALASKA COAST Breaks Back, Sinks Off Sanak Island with Large Loss of Life SEATTLE, April 24—The Navy- approved Liberty ship John Straub, northbound with a cargo of ex- plosives, broke her back and sank at 5:30 o'clock lagt Wednesday morning, 21 miles south of Sanak Island, E. M. Murphy, Superintend- ent of the Alaska Steamship Com- pany announces. . Fifteen survivors of eighty men aboard were taken to the Army hospital at Cold Bay, and it is pre- sumed that all of the other of the ships’ officers, 40 seamen, 14 Navy men and cargo security officer are lost. The John Straub was a new ship and was making her third voyage for the Alaska Steamship Company. ‘The ship parted aft of the engine room bulkhead, the forward section sinking immediately and the after section going down 14 hours later. The survivors were picked up by a small Army boat which reached the scene nine hours after the ship broke. All lifeboats and rafts save one have been accounted for, leaving small hope there .are other sur- vivors. Coast Guardsmen, boarding the after section before it went down, reported no evidence of life aboard and no signs of a fire, although first reports mentioned by the sur- vivors were there had been ‘ex- plosions. . o The only names of the survivors available last night were able sea- man Bruce Spang of Pacoma, and Kenneth Baker, address unknown. The master of the Straub is pre- sumed to be lost. He Is Capt. A. W. Westerholm, of Seattle, veteran of 26 years with the Alaska Steam- ship Company. DRAMATIC RESCUE MADE BY BRIT. SUB, DOWNED U. 5. FLIER BY EUGENE BURNS Associated Press War Correspondent ABOARD AN AMERICAN CAR- RIER OFF SABANG, April 19— | (Delayed) —Under smoking guns of coastal batteries, a British submar- ine made one of the most dramatic rescues of the war when it picked up American pilot Lt. Dale Klon- dike Klahn of Laramie, Wyoming, shot down in a task force blow against Sabang and Lhonga. Swift Navy planes had hopped off from the carrier®to wreck Jap planes and ships, docks, oil tanks and other installations. Klahn's plane was downed. Twelve Hell Cats spread a Star Spangled umbrella over his little yellow life raft while the sub, being nailed down by the Jap Air Force and a Jap destroyer, which tried to approach, was maneuvered to the Jife raft and rescued Klahn, Great credit is given skipper Lt. Comdr. Robert supervised the umbrella spread of the Hell Cats, none of which were lost while aiding the sub and pro- tecting Klahn. 258 I 1 Blimp Forced Down In Sform; Nine of Ten Crew Missing NEW ORLEANS, April 24— Wreckage of a storm-downed Navy blimp has been found on the Gulf of Mexico aff Mississippi with nine of-ten men of the crew missing. Ensign Willlam Thewse, of .Lake- wood, Ohio, was rescued by a Navy craft. The ship fell in a 40-minute battle with a thunder storm. Two sister blimps were also destroyed, it is said. ——e——— BIRTHDAY BARBECUE {ls today, George Ocjanas yesterday gave a barbecuc party for his many Piece de resistance on the menu was a succulent pig roasted over an open fire, Dose, 29, of Coronado, Calif., who friends on the beach at Treadwell. | ERMANY AMERICAN PLANES IN BIG SMASH Brifain and | Italy-based Sky Forces Range Over Wide Sections BULLEPIN—LONDON, April 24. — In a two-way blow, the American sky force, approach- ing 2,000 heavy bombers and fighters, Britain-based, smash- ed German plane plants today, while an armada of about 1,000 more aircraft struck from Italy at Bucharest and Ploesti. GREAT ATTACK RAGING LONDON, April 24.—American air fleets smashed plane plants and other factories in Friedrichshafen and airfields near Munich as the German radio told of simultaneous blows of American on Rumania, in- dicating perhaps the heaviest co- ordinated attack of the war. ‘The assault on German objectives were carried out in good weather and while aiding the bombardiers, the Germans had a better chance to challenge these latest blows in the history-making campaign to drive the German air force from the air.’ The German radio sald the Am- erican bombers and fighters were engaged by the Nazi defenders even before they crossed the border and fierce battles - were fought over southern Germany. " The Berlin broadcast also said Italy-based bombers penetrated Ru~ mania and declared they were met American Mustangs, Lightnings and Thunderbolts of the Eighth and Ninth: Air Forces as well as Royal Alr Force Mustangs, guarded the heavy bombers from Britain. Two blows were landed today on targets in France and Belgium, NEW DRIVE ISPLANNED BY SOVIETS MOSCOW, April 24—The Rus- slans, who in ten months lifted the slege of Leiningrad, struck into Ru- mania and smashed half way to Berlin on a 500-mile march from Krusk, are massing for a new cam- palgn, front line dispatches indi- cated as g relative calm prevailed along the long front for the second straight day. The pause is expected to be short lived as the spring mud has dried up. The military spokesman said the halt in the offensive is just normal along the exceptionally importany advance lines reached by the Rus- sians. CANNON-PACKING MITCHELLS BOMB PEARL HARBOR, A 24.—Des- non-packing Mitchell bombers of the Seventh Army Alr Force bombed Ponape last Priday in another at- tack on the eastward guardian of Truk and runways and installations were hit and on the same day re- maining enemy positions in the Marshalls were subjected to a 60- ton bombing attack by Navy, Marine and Army air arms. Gun positions and coastal defenses were bombed and strafed. Three More Afolls InMarshalls Taken WASHINGTON, April 34. — The o, calébrale ‘hia’ birihday, which |t LUy F L MERID A0 A B4 brought to 20 the number of atolls in the Marshall Islands which are now occupied by c\n'«roopi.mv.l.nu been run up on Mejit cording to announcement HY il £ Pacitic fleet. TRUK GUARDIAN pite moderate nnmucr’n": fire, can- <o